1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to apparatus for controlling the outflow of the flushing water into a toilet bowl, and more particularly, to such an apparatus that employs a three-port chamber, two valves and a crank for selectively controlling the quantity of water flushed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional toilet tanks generally contain between five and six gallons of water and utilize subsantially all of such water during a flushing operation. It has been recognized that the use of such large quantities of water in all instances is not necessary since the flushing away of waste liquids requires only a fraction of the water required for flushing solid matter. For example, it has been determined that approximately seven quarts of water is sufficient to remove liquid waste whereas about 31/2 gallons of water is sufficient to remove solid waste. In view of such waste and because of the interest of society in preserving our natural resources water conservation legislation is presently being enacted in several of the states.
In the patent art, mechanisms for providing a partial flush or a full flush are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,237,211, "Self-Attaching Dual Flush Valve Assembly" by M. F. Brown and in U.S. Pat No. 3,768,103, "Toilet Tank Flush Valve Assembly" by Burton H. Robinson. These patents do not reveal an apparatus that utilizes a three-port chamber, two valves, and a rod pivotally connected between the distal end of the arm and the valves with chains having preselected lengths for selectively controlling the quantity of water flushed.